THE FUNDAMENTAL PARTNERSHIPS OF SUCCESS

Every successful person understands that they can not succeed by themselves. Success is always based on effective partnerships.

Every business needs customers. Every manufacturer needssuppliers, and entrepreneurs depend on partners for financing, marketing, and production. Even the solitary "day trader" dependson thousands of people who maintain the systems that permit themto work "alone."

But there are even more basic partnerships that often go unnoticed,and like any partnership that is ignored, they can fall apart with disastrous impact on your business, and your life. I'm talking aboutthe "internal" partnerships that are absolutely fundamental to yourlong-term success.

Here are 4 vital "partnerships" that must be maintained and nurtured for your business to flourish:

1. The partnership between your "Head" and your "Heart". People stuck in jobs they hate are examples of allowing thispartnership to erode. Whether it's the lure of profits or the loyaltiesof a family business, the results of following a path without passion are the same. We make money, and spend it on therapists. Wehave the prestige or the money, but find no joy in the process. The"logic" of your head and the "passion" of your heart must partnertogether for long-term success.

2. The partnership between your "Goals" and your "Values". How often have you defined a goal, committed to its achievement,and then failed to follow through? Often, this is because your valueswere not aligned with the goal. If your goal to earn more conflictswith your value of spending more time as a family, the value will win every time! Values go deeper than goals, and when there is conflictbetween your goals and your values, you will fail to reach your goals,and feel badly about it, every time.

3. The partnership between your "Desires" and your "Resources".Often, we attempt projects for which we do not have the skills, thefinancing, or the aptitude, and in the end, we fail. Financing a lifestyleon credit cards is a common example. So is attempting to run abusiness without the skills required for success. When our desires andour skills partner effectively, we are viewed as competent, and becomean expert in our field. But when our desires and our resources are notaligned, the result is frustration and disappointment.

4. The partnership between your "Vision" and your "Effort".Many entrepreneurs have a clear vision of success, but fail to do thework of turning their vision into reality. Other individuals have theenergy and ambition to work hard, but without a guiding vision, theirwork is scattered, inconsistent and unproductive. Success requirespartnering a brilliant vision with the hard work of focused daily action.

To maintain these internal partnerships, regularly clarify your priorities.Review your goals and your values, and assess your actions in lightof your vision. To achieve any long term success, you will needexternal partnerships with colleagues, suppliers, and customers, butyou will also need strong internal partnerships based on knowing whoyou are, what you want, and where you are going in life. Nurturethese partnerships and they will take you far. They will take you to the top!

Search...

FosterLink is a program offered by The Blue Ribbon Project. The Blue Ribbon Project is a 100% volunteer 501(c)(3) non-profit community organization based in Annapolis, Maryland. We are committed to both the prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect and act as a support network for survivors of Child Abuse, Foster Care, and Child Sexual Assault. We offer several programs that directly serve abused and neglected children, raise public awareness about child abuse, and programs serving adult survivors of child abuse.